


hand over the reins

by SmonksTheMuse



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Empress Padmé Amidala, Gen, Minor Character Death, Padmé Amidala Lives, Padmé takes shit into her own hands, Suitless Vader, the Mustafar duel doesn't happen so Ani doesn't get burned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-20
Updated: 2017-05-20
Packaged: 2018-11-02 18:10:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10949967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmonksTheMuse/pseuds/SmonksTheMuse
Summary: Prompt from anonymous on tumblr: "For a prompt, how about a dark AU where Padme lives and becomes Empress?"





	hand over the reins

She would admit, the brief second Anakin had strangled her had been one of the most terrifying moments of her life; his face twisted in anger, his arm outstretched with his hand curled as if around her neck. This was not him, this was not the man she knew, the man she married, the man she loved. His handsome face was not made to hold such shadows of hate upon it. His strong arms were supposed to wrap around the ones he loved, to keep them safe and hold them close, not reach out with such menacing, harmful intent. His gentle hands were never meant to drip with blood, never meant to do the bidding of a monster of a master, never meant to draw the Force around her throat and squeeze until her vision blackened at the edges.

She knew this wasn't him. She tried to speak, to tell him that, to let him know that she still loved him, still believed in his goodness. "Anakin-" she gasped. It was all she could do, she couldn't breathe. For a terrible moment, she was afraid he hadn't even heard.

But then his eyes had widened, and that sick, shining gold color had faded from his beautiful, beautiful blue eyes. It was like some awful fever had broken and he'd suddenly realized what he was doing, and he had fallen to his knees before her, crying and shaking and begging forgiveness and she had known that he was still her's, still her beloved Ani. Not evil, never evil, but simply scared and hurting and lead astray.

Obi-Wan had not agreed, insisting Anakin was Dark and dangerous and a monster that needed to be stopped. Anakin, who she had knelt down to take into her arms, had cried even harder at his words, pressing his face into her chest and trembling like a leaf in a hurricane. Padmé had decided that, old friend or not, if he was going to threaten her husband then she wasn’t going to be gentle about stopping him; a blaster bolt straight to the face, on its highest non-lethal setting, seemed an appropriate punishment for both his cruelty to Anakin and his failure as a mentor.

 _If you had been there for him like you were supposed to,_ she thought angrily, _if you had paid attention, if you had given him the care and love he needs, he never would have pledged himself to Palpatine. He was afraid and alone because you and the Jedi let him down._

She regretted her timing of her attack, if not the attack itself, when she felt herself go into labor not five seconds after. But she remained calm, and helped Anakin to remain calm, and once they had gotten Obi-Wan back on the ship (she couldn't bring herself to leave him there with a sure concussion and possible brain damage, even despite her fury) they made the short trip to Polis Massa and its small but serviceable medical facility. With her beloved husband by her side, clutching her hand, she delivered two beautiful, healthy twins. She named them Luke and Leia, and Anakin had looked at them in wonder, held them in his arms, and sobbed unabashedly.

After that - well, Padmé wouldn't have ever dreamed she would be the type to kill in cold blood, much less seize power from her gunned-down victim (if the slime could even be called that) and crown herself Empress, but motherhood changes a woman, and her babies deserved the Galaxy and more.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic and others can be found on my tumblr: vintage-smokestack.tumblr.com


End file.
